Stakeholders in Ghana’s marine and coastal sectors have called on the government to include clear constitutional provisions that guarantee the protection and sustainable use of the country’s marine resources.
They argued that as Ghana explores the full potential of the blue economy, which involves the responsible use, conservation, and restoration of ocean resources, constitutional backing is critical for long-term impact.
Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of an Ocean Governance expert meeting on constitutional review held in Accra on Friday, May 9, the Head of the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Ghana, Professor Francis Kofi Ewusie, called on the Constitution Review Committee, to ensure the revised constitution promotes the conservation of both marine and freshwater ecosystems, while enabling sustainable economic growth.
“We want to elevate ocean issues, which are international global issues, to the constitutional level so that it will become more mandatory and much more respected, more important. We want to have a relook at the definition of the ocean so that the ocean, with its interrelated water bodies and the aquatic bodies, can come into it.
“We are also looking at the coastal areas as well that have issues of flooding, erosion, and others that are affecting our people,” he urged.